Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga was established by an Act of Parliament (No. 3 of 2009).

CUK is one of the 16 new Central Universities established by the Government of India during the UGC XI Plan Period to address to the concerns of ‘equity and access’ and to increase the access to quality higher education by people in less educationally developed districts which have a Graduate Enrolment Ratio of less than the national average of 11%.

CUK with its territorial jurisdiction all over Karnataka has been initiated  its activities from the academic year beginning 2009 in keeping with the philosophy of achieving and maintaining the highest levels of academic excellence, sensitivity to equity and access in enrolment and recruitment and emerging as a premier national educational and research institution in the country.